Biographical Note:

Ezra T. Gilliland was born in 1847 in New York. He was the founder of Gilliland Electric Manufacturing Company. Growing up, Gilliland was friends with Thomas Edison and later on, became interested in the telephone and the phonograph. Gilliland invented the fundamental elements of the switchboard needed for all telephone systems to work. In the 1870s, Gilliland organized the first telephone exchange in Indianapolis. He sold the company a few years later for $20,000. Using the money he gained from the selling of his company, Gilliland opened Gilliland Electric Manufacturing Company in Indianapolis. Within three years, the company had grown so big that Gilliland moved his factory to Michigan. There at the factory, he manufactured parts for Western Union. Gilliland died on May 13, 1903 in his home in New York.

Source:

“Was Inventor of the Switchboard.” The Logansport Reporter. May 15, 1903.http://www.gillilandtrails.org/documents/bios/bio_ETGillilandProfile.rtf. April 8, 2013.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of an advertising card for the Gilliland Electric Manufacturing Company. The card is advertising for “improvements in telephonic apparatus.”

Photocopy Policy:

Manuscript material CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in its entirety. Photocopies and/or digital reproductions (i.e. scans, digital photographs) cannot exceed 25% of a COLLECTION or FOLDER within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Please check with the Manuscript Librarian for possible alternatives.

Collection Inventory

Folder and Item Listing:

Folder 1. Gilliland Electric Mfg. Co.

Date Unknown Advertising Card

Collection Information:

Size of Collection: 1 folderCollection Dates: UnknownProvenance: UnknownAccess: The Collection is Open for Research UseRestrictions: NoneReproduction Rights: Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscripts and Rare Books Division, Indiana State Library. Language: Materials are entirely in: EnglishAlternate Formats: Related Holdings: Collection Notes: